Piggy by the Sea Bracelets

You can spice up your jewelry designs with the fun dimension of piggy beads! These two-holed cuties are perfect in these beachy bracelets. The stringing technique is simple, so make these bracelets with friends and family members for a fun project you'll always remember.

Sapphire and Mint Bracelet

Step one: Cut a length of jewelry wire approximately 20 to 22 inches long. Add the light sapphire small starfish tumbled glass button to the center of the wire. Put a bead stopper on one side of the starfish. On the other side, add two TOHO 8/0 bead rounds in transparent light sapphire.

Step two:Now you are going to add piggy beads to the wire. You want to string them from the domed side of the bead. In other words, the dome will be pointing toward the TOHOs. String on a 4x8mm Czech glass piggy bead in sapphire through the center stringing hole, followed by a 4x8mm Czech glass piggy bead in mint through the offset hole. Repeat this pattern until you reach your desired length, accounting for the length of the button clasp and the loop you will make. We added approximately 52 piggy beads to our strand.

Step three: Remove the bead stopper on the other side of the button and place it on the end of the beaded wire strand. Add two TOHOs to the free wire. Thread the wire through the remaining open holes of the piggy beads on the strand. Add another sapphire piggy bead to both strands, threading it from the cupped side so that the end beads have the cupped sides together.

Step four:Slide a TOHO and a sterling silver 2x2mm crimp tube onto both wires. Add 24 TOHOs to one wire strand and then bring that wire back through the crimp tube and the first TOHO added to form a loop. Run the other wire the opposite way through the loop and then through the crimp tube and the first TOHO. The bracelet will feel a little stiff, so add a little slack to the strands and then crimp the crimp tube shut around the four wires. For help with crimping, please see our Handy Tip.

Step five:Add the TierraCast antique silver small spindle shell charm to a 925/10 silver-filled 5mm 18 gauge open jump ring and add it to the bracelet, around the crimp tube. For help opening and closing jump rings, please see our Handy Tip Video. Add the 15x16mm antique silver-plated pewter fish charm to this jump ring using another 5mm jump ring.

Dark Aquamarine and Opaque Green Hematite Bracelet

Step one: Repeat steps one through four from the first bracelet to create this bracelet. This time you will use the teal small starfish tumbled glass button, TOHO 8/0 bead rounds in transparent medium aqua AB, 4x8mm Czech glass piggy beads in dark aquamarine and 4x8mm Czech glass piggy beads in opaque green hematite. We used approximately 59 piggy beads in this bracelet.

Step two: Add a 5mm jump ring to the TierraCast antique silver large spindle shell charm and add it to the bracelet, around the crimp tube. Add one 5mm jump ring to the TierraCast antique silver seahorse charm. Add a sterling silver 9mm open jump ring to the tumbled glass charm. Connect the seahorse and shell charms together using another 5mm jump ring. Attach this dangle to the jump ring around the crimp tube.